“When you bring forth what is in you, what you have will save you. That which you do not have in you will kill you if you do not know it within you.” – The Gospel of Thomas
My friends and neighbors. Look around this sanctuary. We see the familiar faces of our community, the sturdy craftsmanship of these pews, and the light streaming through the glass. We live in an age of great wonders—automobiles that glisten like chrome jewels and rockets aiming for the very stars. But tonight, I want us to turn our gaze away from the gadgets of the modern world and look into the most mysterious territory of all. The human heart.
There is a fundamental truth about our existence. One that the Divine has woven into the very fabric of our souls. It is this, “When you bring forth what is in you, what you have will save you. But that which you do not have in you will kill you if you do not know it within you.”
Think of your life as a garden plot given to you by the Divine. Inside every one of us, there is a seed. A unique essence. A truth. A calling.
If you nurture that seed. If you bring it forth into the light through honest labor, kindness, and integrity, that very essence becomes your salvation. It becomes the strength that carries you through the storms of life.
But if you bury it. If you stifle that inner light out of fear or because you’re too busy keeping up with the Joneses. It doesn’t just disappear. It sours.
You see, friends, we cannot pretend to be something we aren’t. The Divine didn’t make us to be carbon copies of our neighbors. If you have a truth inside you and you refuse to live it, you are carrying a weight that will eventually pull you under.
Now, let’s look at the second half of that truth. If you do not possess that inner connection. If you haven’t recognized the presence of the Divine within your own mind and spirit. You are walking on hollow ground.
In this fast-paced world , it is easy to become “hollow people.” We fill our lives with noise. We fill our lives with television programs and social clubs. We try to ignore the quiet ache in our chests. But hear me clearly. What you do not have in you will kill you. It won’t be a physical death. Perhaps not at first. It is the death of the spirit. It is the cynicism that withers the soul. If you do not find that spark of the Divine within yourself, the world will eventually feel like a cold, dark place. You cannot find outside what you have failed to cultivate inside.
So, as we go about our business this week. Whether you’re at the office, the grocery store, or the kitchen sink. Ask yourself this, “ What am I bringing forth? Is it the genuine fruit of a soul in harmony with the Divine? Or am I carrying a void where my spirit ought to be?
Do not be afraid of what you find in the quiet moments. For even in the darkest corner of the heart, the Divine is waiting for you to simply acknowledge the light. Bring it forth, let it save you, and walk out of this building today as a person made whole.
Amen.
